Temple of Lions
by hat-and-goggles
Summary: In the late 1920s, after months of pestering locals about coordinates, a team archaeologists stumble upon a a completely intact temple for Sekhmet, where they awaken an ancient being that sends them on the adventure of a lifetime. Written for Timeless Voltron zine, a history themed fan-zine!


"Oh my goodness, this is it." Historian Takashi Shirogane mumbled in sheer awe as he wafted his torch around, taking in the giant hall and its intricate murals and statues. "The temple of Sekhmet." The professor could barely contain his excitement. He and his team had just struck literal gold by uncovering this previously undisturbed temple, dedicated to the ancient Egyptian goddess of war, Sekhmet.

The many ancient works of art depicted the goddess of war herself, a woman with the head of a lioness, along with five lions running around, and six humans that. He almost dropped his torch when his eyes fell on five _giant_ stone lions at the back of the massive hall. Takashi wasn't quite sure what to make of it just yet. He was too overwhelmed by the beautiful pieces, but even more than that, by how well-preserved they were. If he had to put a stamp on it now, this previously sealed temple must have been at least five thousand years old, and there was barely a speck of dust on them. It was a miracle people with worse intentions hadn't found it before them.

Lance, the archaeologist sighed. "I don't know. The people at home want mummies. We usually catch more money for tombs, too. What's so different about this temple, anyway?" He complained to no one in particular.

"I don't know, but the locals sure didn't want us to find this one. It took me four whole months to get the exact coordinates of this place." Keith, the explorer, bemoaned.

"He's right, you know. That alone suggests there _has_ to be something important here." Hunk, the team's expert on ancient structures mused. "I mean, everyone back in town apparently knows it's here, and yet, nobody has ever been inside."

"Yeah, because they didn't want to be in for an eternity of boredom." Lance rolled his eyes. "Can't we go on a big adventure or something? Then I'll write a best selling novel about it and retire at 35." He huffed, crossing his arms.

"Really, I'm beginning to think you're in this for the wrong reasons." Katie Holt, professor Shirogane's student and protégé said as she adjusted her glasses.

"I'm with her." Keith nodded in agreement. "I've always been under the impression that archaeologists are in this business to learn about ancient civilizations. Not to make a quick buck."

"Well excuse you, if you think going into a relatively lucrative business to support a giant Spanish family is 'the wrong reasons', you can kindly stick that torch where the sun don't-"

The archaeologist was cut off by the gasps of his teammates as the entire temple lit up; the torches lining the walls flickered to life, gleaming gold and glittering gems only further reflecting the light throughout the temple. It was a beautiful sight to behold, had it not been for the fact that the fires lit themselves.

"Uh… Boys?" Professor Shirogane stammered. He looked concerned. Scared, even. "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

The group reluctantly followed his gaze. At the center of the giant hall stood a young woman with brown skin and pearly white hair. She was clothed in a flowing linen dress and was embellished with beautiful golden jewelry, encrusted with lapis lazuli. They had seen this woman before, and they didn't even have to think back too far, as thewoman who stood before them, in the flesh, appeared in most of the murals surrounding them.

"Welcome." She spoke in a language they somehow all understood. The way her angelic voice bounced off the walls, surrounding the 'visitors', made her feel omnipresent, and slightly intimidating in spite of her welcoming tone.

"I… Uh, we apologize for trespassing, but we thank you for your hospitality, kind lady." Takashi spoke for the five of them. "If I may be so bold to ask… who are you?"

The woman chuckled. "Of course you may, Takashi Shirogane." She said, single handedly sending a chill down all of their spines. "I am high priestess Allura. I oversee all offerings and prayers to our goddess of war, Sekhmet."

"Alright, another question." Hunk spoke up firmly, though his voice shook with nervosity. "How did you know his name?"

"Actually, I know all of your names, Hunk Garrett. I have been waiting for you all."

Katie frowned behind her glasses. How could they be so sure that they were somehow talking to a living, breathing, genuine priestess of Egypt's old pantheon? This might still be one of the townspeople, playing an elaborate prank on them. "Alright… Then I'm sure you can tell us how and why you've been waiting for us for, what, three millennia?"

"It doesn't matter for how long I've waited or how I did it. What matters is that you are here now. The world needs you, after all."

"Looks like you're finally getting that big adventure you wanted." Keith smirked smugly, elbowing Lance in his side, only to be hushed by professor Shirogane.

"All due respect, your Holiness, but what could you, or, you know, the world, possibly need _us_ for?" Hunk asked, frowning at the tall woman.

Allura fell silent and looked away, turning her gaze toward the floor of the temple. For the first time, her look of serene optimism was replaced by something else. Pain. Disgust. Sorrow. All came and went as, what the team presumed to be, painful memories flashed before her eyes. She took a deep, shaking breath before speaking again.

"Five thousand years ago, a Pharaoh ruled over this land. His name was Zarkon. He was a kind man, and a benevolent leader, but when his wife fell ill and died… there was a change. He couldn't let go of the loss of his wife and began to take his anger out on his people; exploiting them, hurting them… It went on for years. Eventually, all this negative energy began to manifest in magic. A curse that wouldn't let him go. It made him mad with power.

So… his people and I prayed to Sekhmet. We brought her all offerings we could, and not much later, she granted these five lions, to people in the kingdom that were pure of heart and would not abuse their might. These Paladins were the only people for whom the lions would move. During the day, they simply looked like statues, and so Zarkon always thought of them as such. But what he didn't know, was that at night, the lions could combine into a champion of good, that would defeat all evil. 'Voltron', our goddess named it.

It was a long and intense battle, only made more difficult by the magical powers the curse had granted Pharaoh Zarkon, but in the end, the Paladins managed to seal him away in a tomb we had secretly excavated not far from here, where he could never harm another human being.

However, I woke a few days ago. Which means the seal of Zarkon's tomb must have been broken, and the world is in grave danger once again. It is no coincidence that you came here together. It was destiny. I look at you, and I see the Paladins of old in you. I know that together, we can defeat him once again."

"Wait, hold on. How 'not far from here' is that tomb? My brother is digging at a site that's barely a mile away from here!" Katie demanded, her voice raising in panic.

Professor Shirogane gently squeezed her shoulder in an attempt to calm her down. "It's okay, Katie. Matt will be fine. Right, miss Allura?"

However, the way she bit her lip and looked away was more than enough of an answer. "There definitely is a risk to his well being, but he might be alright. Your brother is almost certainly digging near Zarkon's tomb, but that's not to say that he can't get away from there in time."

"In that case, we'll do it. We'll fight that guy." Katie told Allura, full of newfound determination. To Hell with it if this turned out to be a prank from the townspeople. She was _not_ risking her brother's life on some dumb skepticism.

"How?" Hunk thought out loud. "We can barely work together as a unit as is, and that's with no pressure whatsoever. What happens when we get into a fight when the fate of the world depends on us?!"

"Trust me when I tell you that you will learn to work together. Our previous Paladins were strangers to each other before they were chosen. You already have the advantage of having worked together before becoming Paladins. If they could do it, I'm sure you can, too."

For a time, it was quiet. Allura's story was a lot to take in. They came to this temple, looking for knowledge and treasure, and now, they were supposed to fight an ancient Pharaoh with magical powers using stone lions as weapons. And not only that, but they had been destined to do this for thousands of years? This did indeed seem like one of those adventure novels Lance seemed to value so much. And not a very good one, at that.

It was during this profound silence that Keith's curiosity got the better of him. "Okay, so how do we do this? How do we know which one of us controls which lion?" He asked, intently looking up at the lions as he walked towards towards them.

"Well, which one do you feel drawn to?" Allura asked. "The lion chooses you as much as you choose the lion."

"Okay, if you say so." Keith smiled, slowly walking by each lion. He paused for a second in front of the largest lion in the middle before ultimately walking on and settling in front of the first lion to its right. "This one. Definitely."

"Voltron's right hand." Allura smiled encouragingly. "That makes you the second in command to your leader."

"Yeah, I'm more than comfortable with that." Keith told her with a confident smile gracing his features.

"Dibs on that other one!" Katie shouted as she ran to the lion left of the one in the middle, her eyes filled with childlike wonder.

"Enthusiastic, aren't you?" Professor Shirogane chuckled.

"Yeah, I guess you could say I'm your best and brightest for a good reason." She said proudly.

Hunk was the next one to pick a lion as he quietly walked to the one on Katie's left.

"So I'm guessing this lion is for the most handsome one of the lot who gets the beautiful priestess at the very end of the adventure?" Lance boasted, swaggering to the most right lion with an air of overconfidence.

"Actually, no..." The priestess said, her tone thoroughly unimpressed. "You and Hunk are the legs of Voltron. Supportive and well-balanced. It would do you well to be your genuine self, rather than… well, this."

Keith and Katie burst into a fit of giggles, and even Hunk snorted at Lance's deflated expression.

"Guys, come on, don't laugh." Professor Shirogane said in Lance's defense. "Though, I have to admit, that's some solid advice. I'd take it seriously if I were you, Lance."

"Yes sir..." Lance mumbled.

"Besides, as much as I might come to like all of you, I must return here after this whole ordeal is over, should a new generation of Paladins require my guidance in the future." Allura said, smiling sadly.

"Hey, prof, looks like you get the final lion!" Lance noted, quickly changing the subject in an attempt to brighten up everyone's mood.

"Exactly. That would make you the leader, Takashi." Allura piped up, smiling more genuinely this time. "Having a scholar as the decisive head of Voltron and the leader of the Paladins couldn't be more fitting."

His breath hitched as he looked up at the lion, the very largest one. He stood there, frozen in what could only be described as fear. He heard the calling of the lion in the depths of his mind, but was he really ready to take on something this big? Was he capable enough as a leader to not only be responsible for the lives of these youngsters, but also for the fate of the world as they knew it? It was only then can that a small voice snapped him out of his train of thought. Katie.

"Professor, do you remember what you told my parents when they objected to me coming to Egypt with you and Matt?"

He thought for a second, chuckling and shaking his head when the words came to him. "If you worry too much about what could go wrong, you might miss the chance of doing something great..."

"Those are words to live by." The priestess said, placing an encouraging hand on Takashi's shoulder. "You can do this. I know it in my heart."

A deep, shaking breath escaped the professor. "You ladies sure can be persuasive." He laughed nervously before making his way to the final lion, placing a gentle hand on the course sandstone of its paw.

He, along with the others, jumped in surprise as a low, rumbling sound filled the room. The lions rose to their feet for the first time in millennia, their sandstone disguise crumbling off to reveal shiny, brightly coloured metal underneath. They looked like robots, but much sleeker in design and more advanced than anyone in the west even dared to imagine. So many questions popped into his head. Was this kind of technology commonplace in ancient times? Was it limited to gifts from the gods? Where did the lions come from? What were they made of? How were they built? But all of that would have to wait.

"Guys, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" The professor asked, earning a unified nod from the rest of his team.

"Let's form Voltron."


End file.
